09/03/06 Runaway Daughters

Runaway Daughters (1994), directed by Joe Dante

watched w/ Leslie; DVD rental (North American Video) @ home

Playing up to both Leslie & my affections for racy pulp comic style (she has a bedroom wall full of such lurid postcards, and I loved Johnny Depp in "Cry Baby")...we chose a tawdry romp into 1950's nostalgia via 1990's speed with this one. Directed by Joe Dante (of "Gremlins" and "Innerspace" fame in the 80's), this original TV-movie was apparently a remake (or reconfiguring) of an actual 1950's teen angst film of the same name...or so I read. Anyway, what you have here is a good ensemble cast, in an utterly silly teeny-bopper crime-spree. Three teenage girls (Angie the leader; Mary the sheltered; and Laura the goody-two-shoes) have had enough of their straight-laced 50's suburban town, boyfriends that don't own up to responsibilities, and parents that just don't understand. After Mary's boyfriend gets her pregnant and ditches her for a stint in the Army, the girls head out on a cross-country trek to get to him before the recruiter does. Along the way, the runaways (unfortunately not the bad-ass chick band fronted by Joan Jett and Lita Ford...www.therunaways.com) get mistaken for kidnappings, have rebel biker boyfriends (Paul Rudd, in a funny greaser role) search for them, and get mixed up in serial killers' plans. There's even a cameo from the Luridly Legendary Roger Corman (who gave Dante his first start in the 70's). The film is dumb, yes, but appealing in a way that those pulp postcards are on the bedroom wall...plus with a pinch of John Waters thrown in there for giggles. Completely random side note here...if you watch this film, you may recall one of its lead characters Laura as the actress Jenny Lewis (with such boyhood crush roles in lesser known films "The Wizard" w/ Fred Savage and "Big Girls Don't Cry...They Get Even"). She's one of those actors/actresses who you instantly recognize from somewhere in your pop culture memories, but can't place anything they've done in the last 10-15 years. Well, the reason for this moment here is that she has explored another creative outlet, as the lead singer for subdued indie rock group Rilo Kiley! Yeah, not the Runaways, but they rock...and I had no idea...if you don't believe me, check it out...she sings beautifully.

3 out of 5 stars